This exploratory analysis of America’s favorite past-time takes an in-depth look at the history of Negro League play and the statistics they generated.

Our Data

The data we are using is from Baseball Reference, though it was compiled by Seamheads from newspapers and other primary sources of the time. It is important to note that the data set is not complete by any means, as box scores and record keeping were not as comprehensive in the Negro Leagues as they were for the American and National Leagues. In addition, the Negro Leagues played many exhibition, barnstorming, and other types of games that are not included in the data set.

Our data includes all Negro League pitchers and position players from 1920 to 1948 (the period they have been designated major leagues by MLB) in the Baseball Reference database, with the aforementioned caveats. Our data set includes all hitters with at least 100 plate appearances (PA), and all pitchers who appeared in at least 10 games. The data set only includes the career stats each player put up while in the Negro Leagues (for instance, Jackie Robinson’s statistics with the Dodgers are not included in the set).

Summary Information

The median number of plate appearances in our dataset was 374, with the mean being 672.2. The median and mean on-base percentage plus slugging percentage (OPS) was .655 (more on this statistic later). For pitchers, the median earned run average (ERA) was 4.50, with the mean ERA being 4.74. The median fielding independent pitching (FIP) was 2.80, with the mean FIP being 2.77.

##        Rk           Player               OPS.              PA        
##  Min.   :  1.0   Length:864         Min.   :-33.00   Min.   : 100.0  
##  1st Qu.:216.8   Class :character   1st Qu.: 58.00   1st Qu.: 196.0  
##  Median :432.5   Mode  :character   Median : 81.00   Median : 374.0  
##  Mean   :432.5                      Mean   : 80.62   Mean   : 672.2  
##  3rd Qu.:648.2                      3rd Qu.:105.25   3rd Qu.: 803.5  
##  Max.   :864.0                      Max.   :214.00   Max.   :5405.0  
##                                                                      
##       From            To           Age                  G          
##  Min.   :1920   Min.   :1920   Length:864         Min.   :  23.00  
##  1st Qu.:1923   1st Qu.:1929   Class :character   1st Qu.:  60.75  
##  Median :1928   Median :1937   Mode  :character   Median : 113.00  
##  Mean   :1930   Mean   :1937                      Mean   : 179.35  
##  3rd Qu.:1937   3rd Qu.:1946                      3rd Qu.: 228.50  
##  Max.   :1948   Max.   :1948                      Max.   :1199.00  
##                                                                    
##       PA.1              AB               R                 H         
##  Min.   : 100.0   Min.   :  81.0   Min.   :   1.00   Min.   :  10.0  
##  1st Qu.: 196.0   1st Qu.: 176.0   1st Qu.:  22.00   1st Qu.:  41.0  
##  Median : 374.0   Median : 337.5   Median :  45.00   Median :  86.5  
##  Mean   : 672.2   Mean   : 596.7   Mean   :  94.71   Mean   : 165.2  
##  3rd Qu.: 803.5   3rd Qu.: 719.0   3rd Qu.: 111.00   3rd Qu.: 198.0  
##  Max.   :5405.0   Max.   :4756.0   Max.   :1149.00   Max.   :1546.0  
##                                                                      
##       X1B              X2B              X3B                HR         
##  Min.   :   7.0   Min.   :  0.00   Min.   :  0.000   Min.   :  0.000  
##  1st Qu.:  33.0   1st Qu.:  5.00   1st Qu.:  1.000   1st Qu.:  0.000  
##  Median :  68.0   Median : 12.00   Median :  4.000   Median :  2.000  
##  Mean   : 124.6   Mean   : 24.74   Mean   :  8.594   Mean   :  7.292  
##  3rd Qu.: 150.2   3rd Qu.: 28.00   3rd Qu.: 10.000   3rd Qu.:  6.000  
##  Max.   :1155.0   Max.   :262.00   Max.   :112.000   Max.   :186.000  
##                                                                       
##       RBI                SB               CS               BB        
##  Min.   :   1.00   Min.   :  0.00   Min.   :0.0000   Min.   :  0.00  
##  1st Qu.:  18.00   1st Qu.:  2.00   1st Qu.:0.0000   1st Qu.: 12.00  
##  Median :  37.00   Median :  5.00   Median :0.0000   Median : 26.00  
##  Mean   :  83.51   Mean   : 14.43   Mean   :0.6286   Mean   : 53.76  
##  3rd Qu.:  91.00   3rd Qu.: 15.00   3rd Qu.:0.0000   3rd Qu.: 63.00  
##  Max.   :1001.00   Max.   :285.00   Max.   :9.0000   Max.   :527.00  
##                                     NA's   :794                      
##        SO               BA              OBP              SLG        
##  Min.   : 0.000   Min.   :0.0970   Min.   :0.1290   Min.   :0.0980  
##  1st Qu.: 4.500   1st Qu.:0.2230   1st Qu.:0.2810   1st Qu.:0.2840  
##  Median :10.000   Median :0.2580   Median :0.3165   Median :0.3390  
##  Mean   : 9.667   Mean   :0.2546   Mean   :0.3133   Mean   :0.3420  
##  3rd Qu.:14.000   3rd Qu.:0.2900   3rd Qu.:0.3510   3rd Qu.:0.3962  
##  Max.   :19.000   Max.   :0.4080   Max.   :0.4920   Max.   :0.7200  
##  NA's   :846                                                        
##       OPS             OPS..1             TB               GIDP       
##  Min.   :0.2390   Min.   :-33.00   Min.   :  10.00   Min.   :0.0000  
##  1st Qu.:0.5707   1st Qu.: 58.00   1st Qu.:  52.75   1st Qu.:0.0000  
##  Median :0.6550   Median : 81.00   Median : 112.00   Median :0.0000  
##  Mean   :0.6553   Mean   : 80.62   Mean   : 229.03   Mean   :0.0899  
##  3rd Qu.:0.7370   3rd Qu.:105.25   3rd Qu.: 268.75   3rd Qu.:0.0000  
##  Max.   :1.1780   Max.   :214.00   Max.   :2329.00   Max.   :1.0000  
##                                                      NA's   :775     
##       HBP               SH               SF           IBB         
##  Min.   : 0.000   Min.   :  0.00   Min.   :0     Min.   : 0.0000  
##  1st Qu.: 0.000   1st Qu.:  4.00   1st Qu.:0     1st Qu.: 0.0000  
##  Median : 1.000   Median : 10.00   Median :0     Median : 0.0000  
##  Mean   : 3.527   Mean   : 18.23   Mean   :0     Mean   : 0.1533  
##  3rd Qu.: 4.000   3rd Qu.: 22.00   3rd Qu.:0     3rd Qu.: 0.0000  
##  Max.   :39.000   Max.   :160.00   Max.   :0     Max.   :11.0000  
##  NA's   :17                        NA's   :669   NA's   :603      
##      Pos                Team           Player.additional 
##  Length:864         Length:864         Length:864        
##  Class :character   Class :character   Class :character  
##  Mode  :character   Mode  :character   Mode  :character  
##                                                          
##                                                          
##                                                          
## 
##        Rk           Player               ERA.              G         
##  Min.   :  1.0   Length:435         Min.   : 42.00   Min.   : 10.00  
##  1st Qu.:109.5   Class :character   1st Qu.: 80.00   1st Qu.: 16.00  
##  Median :218.0   Mode  :character   Median : 94.00   Median : 35.00  
##  Mean   :218.0                      Mean   : 98.31   Mean   : 53.81  
##  3rd Qu.:326.5                      3rd Qu.:113.00   3rd Qu.: 74.50  
##  Max.   :435.0                      Max.   :236.00   Max.   :303.00  
##                                                                      
##       From            To           Age                  W         
##  Min.   :1920   Min.   :1920   Length:435         Min.   :  0.00  
##  1st Qu.:1923   1st Qu.:1929   Class :character   1st Qu.:  4.00  
##  Median :1929   Median :1938   Mode  :character   Median : 10.00  
##  Mean   :1931   Mean   :1937                      Mean   : 17.84  
##  3rd Qu.:1938   3rd Qu.:1946                      3rd Qu.: 24.00  
##  Max.   :1948   Max.   :1948                      Max.   :121.00  
##                                                                   
##        L              W.L.             Dec              ERA        
##  Min.   : 0.00   Min.   :0.0000   Min.   :  1.00   Min.   : 1.700  
##  1st Qu.: 5.00   1st Qu.:0.3640   1st Qu.:  9.00   1st Qu.: 3.805  
##  Median :11.00   Median :0.4680   Median : 21.00   Median : 4.500  
##  Mean   :17.08   Mean   :0.4603   Mean   : 34.92   Mean   : 4.738  
##  3rd Qu.:24.00   3rd Qu.:0.5710   3rd Qu.: 50.50   3rd Qu.: 5.485  
##  Max.   :89.00   Max.   :1.0000   Max.   :182.00   Max.   :10.510  
##                                                                    
##       G.1               GS               CG              SHO        
##  Min.   : 10.00   Min.   :  1.00   Min.   :  0.00   Min.   : 0.000  
##  1st Qu.: 16.00   1st Qu.:  9.00   1st Qu.:  4.00   1st Qu.: 0.000  
##  Median : 35.00   Median : 20.00   Median : 10.00   Median : 1.000  
##  Mean   : 53.81   Mean   : 35.37   Mean   : 20.86   Mean   : 1.903  
##  3rd Qu.: 74.50   3rd Qu.: 51.00   3rd Qu.: 31.00   3rd Qu.: 3.000  
##  Max.   :303.00   Max.   :183.00   Max.   :139.00   Max.   :31.000  
##                                                                     
##        SV               IP                H              R        
##  Min.   : 0.000   Min.   :  24.20   Min.   :  31   Min.   : 10.0  
##  1st Qu.: 0.000   1st Qu.:  79.05   1st Qu.:  92   1st Qu.: 57.5  
##  Median : 1.000   Median : 175.20   Median : 194   Median :116.0  
##  Mean   : 1.685   Mean   : 303.47   Mean   : 320   Mean   :180.0  
##  3rd Qu.: 2.000   3rd Qu.: 422.55   3rd Qu.: 440   3rd Qu.:258.5  
##  Max.   :24.000   Max.   :1603.10   Max.   :1700   Max.   :871.0  
##                                                                   
##        ER              HR               BB             IBB        
##  Min.   :  8.0   Min.   : 0.000   Min.   :  7.0   Min.   :0.0000  
##  1st Qu.: 45.5   1st Qu.: 2.000   1st Qu.: 32.0   1st Qu.:0.0000  
##  Median : 93.0   Median : 5.000   Median : 66.0   Median :0.0000  
##  Mean   :141.9   Mean   : 9.424   Mean   :101.7   Mean   :0.1759  
##  3rd Qu.:206.5   3rd Qu.:12.000   3rd Qu.:142.5   3rd Qu.:0.0000  
##  Max.   :695.0   Max.   :63.000   Max.   :477.0   Max.   :4.0000  
##                  NA's   :20                       NA's   :236     
##        SO              HBP               BK               WP        
##  Min.   :   6.0   Min.   : 0.000   Min.   :0.0000   Min.   : 0.000  
##  1st Qu.:  34.5   1st Qu.: 2.000   1st Qu.:0.0000   1st Qu.: 1.000  
##  Median :  81.0   Median : 5.000   Median :0.0000   Median : 2.000  
##  Mean   : 146.3   Mean   : 8.405   Mean   :0.1522   Mean   : 3.333  
##  3rd Qu.: 199.5   3rd Qu.:12.000   3rd Qu.:0.0000   3rd Qu.: 5.000  
##  Max.   :1192.0   Max.   :47.000   Max.   :2.0000   Max.   :31.000  
##                                    NA's   :146                      
##        BF             ERA..1            FIP             WHIP      
##  Min.   :   5.0   Min.   : 42.00   Min.   :0.020   Min.   :0.951  
##  1st Qu.: 304.2   1st Qu.: 80.00   1st Qu.:2.035   1st Qu.:1.329  
##  Median : 606.0   Median : 94.00   Median :2.800   Median :1.449  
##  Mean   :1034.9   Mean   : 98.31   Mean   :2.770   Mean   :1.481  
##  3rd Qu.:1521.8   3rd Qu.:113.00   3rd Qu.:3.575   3rd Qu.:1.601  
##  Max.   :5541.0   Max.   :236.00   Max.   :6.140   Max.   :2.317  
##  NA's   :17                        NA's   :20                     
##        H9              HR9              BB9              SO9       
##  Min.   : 6.400   Min.   :0.0000   Min.   : 1.100   Min.   : 1.30  
##  1st Qu.: 9.000   1st Qu.:0.1000   1st Qu.: 2.600   1st Qu.: 3.40  
##  Median : 9.800   Median :0.3000   Median : 3.200   Median : 4.20  
##  Mean   : 9.929   Mean   :0.2959   Mean   : 3.398   Mean   : 4.22  
##  3rd Qu.:10.800   3rd Qu.:0.4000   3rd Qu.: 3.950   3rd Qu.: 4.85  
##  Max.   :17.800   Max.   :1.4000   Max.   :10.100   Max.   :10.10  
##                   NA's   :20                                       
##      SO.BB           Pos                Team           Player.additional 
##  Min.   :0.310   Length:435         Length:435         Length:435        
##  1st Qu.:0.960   Class :character   Class :character   Class :character  
##  Median :1.260   Mode  :character   Mode  :character   Mode  :character  
##  Mean   :1.354                                                           
##  3rd Qu.:1.610                                                           
##  Max.   :4.370                                                           
## 

“He gets on-base.”

One of the greatest baseball managers of all time, Earl Weaver of the Baltimore Orioles, famously said “your most precious possessions on offense are your 27 outs.” On-base percentage (OBP) is a useful statistic because it measures a hitter’s ability to avoid an out. It is superior to earlier statistics like batting average because it factors in a batter’s ability to draw walks.

\(OBP = \frac{H+BB+HBP}{AB+BB+HBP+SF}\)

OBP was made famous by Michael Lewis’s 2003 book Moneyball (later adapted into a movie), which chronicled the 2002 Oakland Athletics and their data-driven quest to build a competitive roster with a much lower payroll than other MLB teams. In a memorable scene from the movie, Brad Pitt, playing general manager Billy Beane, describes why he pursues certain players to the older, less data-driven scouts who don’t understand. Over their objections to superficial factors like weight or off-field issues, Beane simply states, “He gets on-base.”

Here is an interactive visual of OBP on the X-axis and slugging percentage (SLG) (essentially a measure of power) on the Y-axis for Negro Leaguers from 1920 to 1948 with at least 100 plate appearances.

Home Run Leaderboard

## New names:
## Rows: 864 Columns: 35
## ── Column specification
## ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────── Delimiter: "," chr
## (5): Player, Age, Pos, Team, Player-additional dbl (30): Rk, OPS+...3, PA...4,
## From, To, G, PA...9, AB, R, H, 1B, 2B, 3B, H...
## ℹ Use `spec()` to retrieve the full column specification for this data. ℹ
## Specify the column types or set `show_col_types = FALSE` to quiet this message.
## • `OPS+` -> `OPS+...3`
## • `PA` -> `PA...4`
## • `PA` -> `PA...9`
## • `OPS+` -> `OPS+...26`

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